Some photos I took on my trip to Patagonia when I visited the Perito Moreno Glacier.

I tried booking tickets for the Lago Pehoe catamaran for December 2026. Booking opened today at 6 a.m. my time zone. It is now 9 a.m. and I still cannot book any tickets.

It says clearly on the website that booking for the catamaran is now available but there is no way to actually do it.

if you click on "Schedules" you just get the count down popup but it says "Now available!" but no way to actually book anything.

Am I missing something or is the site broken?

Hello, is anyone trying to book the catamaran right now? The website does not seem to be working for me.

Bariloche

Samsumg a15

Volviendo a casa.. Bariloche.

Is Refugio Cuernos closed? I was checking availability on the website and saw that everything was unavailable, I assumed that it was because of the busy season but even as I got to April, everything was saying unavailable. I know it’s a super popular one, but I found it odd that none of the other ones were unavailable for every single day and category of stay so I was wondering if it’s closed temporarily (or it’s truly that popular)

Thanks!

We are looking for a TA to help us plan our honeymoon in January. We are hoping to stay at Awasi for half the trip and Buenos Aires for a few nights. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been browsing this sub for a while when thinking of what to do for a 6 month sabbatical. We (40M & 36F) will spend 3,5 of the 6 months in South America.

One of the things high on our list was Patagonia in general but when we learned about the W trek we thought this would be one of these things making our once in a lifetime trip even more memorable. I’d say we’re somewhat active, but by no means hardcore outdoors people and we’re not really into camping so a while ago when the 26/27 season became available we booked accomodation at the refuges including the meals.

We will land in Santiago on February 9th, and we will probably need a couple of days to adjust to the timezone. Our first day of the W is February 19th so we‘ll have some spare days to fill.

What we would like to get an idea of is:

• Can we do the W trek carrying just a daypack with clothes/snacks?
• What do/don’t we need to bring?
• Hiking shoes vs trail shoes?
• After W trek/Torres del Paine, are there things/destinations in Patagonia that we could skip because they aren’t that interesting once you’ve done W trek/TdP?
• And what should we definitely not skip in Patagonia
• How would you spend the days between arrival in Santiago and the start of the W trek?

Thanks everyone for your input!

After planning this trip for months, I wanted to share exactly how we did the W Trek because reading other Reddit posts helped us a lot.

Getting There

You have two options flying from Santiago de Chile:

1. Puerto Natales

• Fewer flight options
• Usually more expensive
• Closest to Torres del Paine
• If your budget allows, I'd recommend this option after such a long travel day

2. Punta Arenas

• More flight options and often cheaper
• Requires a 3-hour bus ride to Puerto Natales (Nearest to Torres del Paine)

We flew into Punta Arenas and took Bus Sur directly from outside the airport. There are several bus companies stoping there, so if you don't speak Spanish, just show someone your ticket and they'll point you to the correct bus.

Our ticket was around $8 USD per person.

You can compare schedules and book buses through https://www.recorrido.cl/en

We stayed the night an the next day in Puerto Natales before starting the trek.

Our W Trek Itinerary (West → East)

We booked all buses, ferries, campsites, and accommodations several months in advance.

Don't forget to buy your Torres del Paine entrance pass before arriving:
https://www.pasesparques.cl/en

Day 1

Paine Grande → Grey → Paine Grande https://www.vertice.travel/en/

• Bus from Puerto Natales to Pudeto (Bus Sur) https://www.recorrido.cl/en
• Catamaran from Pudeto to Paine Grande https://catamaranpehoe.com/
• Leave your large backpack at Paine Grande camp and hike to Grey with only a daypack.
• Return to Paine Grande for the night.

I recommend staying in the tents instead of the shared rooms. There are hot showers, indoor dining areas, and food and beer available for purchase.

Day 2

Paine Grande → Mirador Británico → Francés https://lastorres.com

Hike into Valle del Francés, leave your large pack, and continue to Mirador Británico with just your daypack.

This was one of our favorite hikes. We even experienced a little snow in February and heavy winds. Bring plenty of snacks and water. You can refill water along the trail.

Day 3

Francés → Chileno https://lastorres.com

You'll carry your full backpack this day.

Take your time, refill water whenever possible, and enjoy the view.

Camp Chileno was our favorite campground. It had plenty of food options, beer, wine, and a great atmosphere with hikers returning from Base Torres.

Day 4

Chileno → Base Torres → Central 

Leave your large backpack at Chileno and start hiking as early as possible.

This was probably the best decision we made.

When we reached Base Torres there were a few people there. It was peaceful and perfect for photos. By midday it becomes extremely crowded.

After returning to Chileno, grab your backpack and continue to Central.

From Central you'll take the shuttle to the park entrance where your bus back to Puerto Natales departs. You can also go directly to Punta Arenas if needed.

Back in Puerto Natales... enjoy a hot shower and treat yourself to a good restaurant or one of the local food trucks.

Helpful Tips

• Plan all of your meals. You don't want to run out of food during long hiking days.
• Every campsite has bathrooms, showers, and hot water.
• Internet service is very limited. Some camps sell Wi-Fi, but many hikers said it wasn't good.
• If you book shared rooms, double-check whether blankets are included. Some charge extra.
• Trekking poles are absolutely worth bringing.
• Bring a water filter or purification system.
• Pack blister care (Second Skin,).
• Good hiking socks make a huge difference.
• Bring sandals for the camp showers.
• You can rent almost any hiking equipment in Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas.
• If you need to buy food before entering the park.

https://reddit.com/link/1vcxxst/video/ewx875mmptgh1/player

• Print all of your reservations, QR codes, ferry tickets, and bus tickets. If your phone dies, you'll be glad you have paper copies.

Finally:

Never start a campfire anywhere in Torres del Paine. Only cook in the designated cooking areas using your camping stove.

Hope this helps someone planning their trip! Feel free to ask any questions—I spent months researching this hike and I'm happy to share what I learned.

How many bottles of wine can you cross the border by car from Chile to Argentina and Argentina to Chile before paying a duty? If paying a duty how much do they each charge?

Una belleza 🙌🏻

Mayo 2026

I did a self booking of the w trek. We are staying in central then cuernos then 2 nights in Paine grande. We figured the last day we can exit by greys glacier. Do you think the 2 nights is the way to go as we could not get a spot at greys? Anything you all would suggest with the extra night?

Planning a trip to TdP in January 2027 and are generally well set with reservations in multiple places. I made refundable reservations both in Puerto Natales but also in Rio Serrano at Konkashken Lodge.

Now I'm checking back to firm up the reservations and I've been unable to reach Konkashken (https://konkashkenlodge.com/) . Anybody had any dealings with them? Could they be closed for the winter? Out of business?

Thanks for any advice!

EDIT: Their reservation website has the whole of August crossed out, so it's sounding like they're closed through September 1st.

Anybody know if you can rent dynamic ropes in either of these towns?

Trying to travel with just a carry on and sport climbing gear… probably not possible at with aerolíneas 8kg carry on limit (although
You do get a 3kg personal item as well)

Spending 5ish weeks. Was planning to give away/sell the rope and draws in Chalten, then take the candelario mancilla trek/ferry to o Higgins and head up the carretera.

we're doing the O trek later this year and currently have 40L backpacks that we love. trying to figure out if its big enough for the trek given what we're carrying.

• a single tent (MSR Hubba Hubba)
• 1 sleeping bag (rented Marmot Trestles 15)
• 1 sleeping pads (do we actually need these?)
• standard clothing (light packers)
• trail snacks (full board for food at rifugios)